Residents vehement in outrage over proposed facility for alcoholic homeless

TROY -- Ire and outrage over the proposed supportive apartment housing facility for the alcoholic homeless dominated the conversation at a public meeting at the Hill Street Inn Monday night, where residents vehemently expressed their opposition against the project.

The meeting, led by Joseph's House & Shelter Executive Director Tracy Neitzel, started out as an informational meeting but soon opened up to the many concerns residents had over the proposed facility meant to provide permanent housing to homeless alcoholics.

Many of the concerns centered on the type of seedy element residents believe bringing alcoholics to the neighborhood would create, and adding to the various drug deals and thefts residents said already exist. Others were concerned about the effect the facility would have on their property values. And some were worried taking a building off the tax rolls and adding another not-for-profit would raise property taxes.

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The one consensus reached among the more than 40 residents in attendance regarding apartment complex: There is a need for this type of facility but not in our backyard.

"No one can tell us what a person who is intoxicated is going to do," said Fran Lengua, a resident who lives adjacent to the former Bizzarro Funeral Home, which Joseph's House is looking to convert into an apartment complex. "Is it fair to expose innocent children to a person that is intoxicated?"

There were the few who supported the project, saying they had heard the exact same complaints when Joseph's House was looking to open the Hill Street Inn. Now, resident Agnes Zink said, it is the most secure block in Little Italy.

"I have to tell ya, I have lived in the neighborhood for over 20 years and I wish there were more places monitored like this," said Zink, a Hill Street resident. "They have the right to drink in their apartments."

Clearing up some misconceptions, Neitzel said the building has not yet been purchased as she currently has a sale agreement, adding there still is not enough money yet for the project. Neitzel has previously said she has been looking at various private foundation grants and some public but said the public ones were contingent on actually obtaining the property.

Some of the other misconceptions she attempted to clear up were the facility would not be providing alcohol to residents, but they would be able to purchase and consume alcohol in the facility, just like anyone else does in their home. Residents objected, saying it was only feeding into their addiction and they would do anything they could to satisfy it.

An argument then came about what the cost of taking a building off the tax rolls, versus the reduction of costs of having this type of facility would have on emergency medical services and other public safety costs. One resident, Michael Schaeffer, an employee of a local are hospital, said the impact would be big.

"It's only going to increase pressure on city services," Schaeffer said. "The Medicaid budget in this county is the leading reason you have such a ridiculously high property tax rate. I think, respectfully, I can't support this philosophically."

Neitzel made sure to tell residents by the end of the meeting she understands and has heard all of the residents' concerns. She also said the organization has made adjustments in the past to accommodate those concerns.

"I don't enjoy these meetings," Neitzel said after the nearly two-hour meeting. "I also know from personal experience, every one of our projects has been embraced in the city."